The present invention relates generally to an educational musical toy and/or game for teaching musical concepts. In particular, the present invention relates to a block musical toy and/or game to teach musical note meaning and pitch recognition, music reading, and instrument playing (key, string, finger button or finger hole recognition, including, for example, note-key and pitch-key correspondences).
The learning of music comprises learning one or more of the following: pitch and the correspondence between written note and pitch, tempo, staccato or not, degrees of loudness, note duration, correspondence between written note and the production of instrumental sound (e.g., by striking a key, plucking a string, blowing on a reed and pushing a key, pressing a finger button or key lever, placing a finger on a finger hole, etc.), rhythm, the sonic characteristics of the various instruments, writing music, singing, harmony, chords, trills, etc.
Current devices and methods to help students learn music are somewhat limited. United States patents on such devices and methods include U.S. Pat. No.2,941,436 to Ericksen, which teaches a flat device that is used to identify musical notes printed on a page.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,879,685 to Page teaches the use of a musical teaching device that incorporates a series of squeezable blocks, each of which is labeled with a note between A and G. The squeezable blocks are mounted on a stiff sheet on which is imprinted a G Clef and music lines, and each squeezable block represents a corresponding note thereon. When a block is squeezed, the air that is forced out of the block passes through a reed tuned to the frequency/pitch of the labeled note.
Other general educational devices include blocks used to teach the alphabet and simple words, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,921 to Stolpen. This patent discloses the use of blocks and other geometric shapes with different letters and words on each of the facets. The words may relate to a given topic, such as geography, chemistry, vocabulary, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,687 to White, et al. teaches the use of cubic blocks with alphabet and corresponding sign language indicia on the facets. A facet may also include a picture of an item whose name begins with a letter on another facet of the same block.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,794 to Coddington discloses the use of blocks to teach the metric system. On each facet is inscribed a metric length (including an imprinted ruler) or a metric volume. A set of blocks, laid end to end, comprises a length of one meter.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,567 to Whitfield teaches the use of blocks to teach Braille to sight-impaired children. A front facet may display, for example, the letter A, including the Braille representation; and the opposite or back facet may display only the Braille.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,433 to Perry, Jr. utilizes interconnecting blocks with letters and pictures that, upon completion by connecting the blocks in any one of a limited series of predetermined sequences, produces a corresponding unified picture sequence and the word for the picture sequence is spelled.
The above discussed inventions, though helpful within their prescribed limits, do not provide the degree of flexibility and interest-attracting ability that is necessary to adequately teach many of the complexities of music, including both children and adults. Thus, there is a need for a student's music teaching system to teach selected aspects of music whereby the attention of a student is held sufficiently strongly to aid the learning process. In the case of individuals with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), there is an even greater need for improvements in attention holding means for student teaching systems. Also, there is a need for a student's music teaching system to teach selected aspects of music whereby there is flexibility sufficient to permit the teaching of more than merely simple concepts, especially to older students and to musically precocious children. One example of a more complex music concept requiring a more flexible student's music teaching system for implementation is that of determining which keys to strike on a piano, for example, and in what order, to produce a desired song. Of course, a need also exists for a more flexible student's music teaching system for determining which strings to pluck or otherwise vibrate (or, generally, which sound initiator to engage) in a given other instrument to produce each note comprising a desired song. Another example of a more complex music concept requiring a more flexible student's music teaching system for implementation is that of composing music, including being able to hear the sequence of notes for a composition in progress or even one completed. Finally, there is a need for a student's music producing system that not only is highly flexible and inexpensive, but also promotes eye-hand coordination and general fine control of the muscles controlling the fingers of the student user.